Since the emergence of “Modern Portfolio Theory” and the “Capital Asset Pricing Model” in the late 1960s, institutional investors have taken a quantitatively driven approach to portfolio construction, looking to create portfolio diversification and obtain better risk-adjusted returns by balancing their asset-class exposures. This journey has seen several important advancements in thinking about how to optimally achieve desired results.
Funds that want to take the total portfolio approach first need to get the total portfolio view. To do that they not only need data – and lots of it – but a rock-solid understanding of exactly how they’re going to use it.
Frontier boosts capital markets capabilities
Alice Berriman (pictured) will join Frontier as a senior consultant in its capital markets and asset allocation team, with a “particular focus” on portfolio construction, as well as working with Frontier’s emerging quantitative team. She joins from HESTA’s portfolio construction and risk team, and has 14 years experience across advisory, financial planning, tech and superannuation businesses.
“Alice has an impressive professional pedigree and the asset owner perspective she will bring to our team will also be extremely beneficial,” said Frontier director of investment strategy Chris Trevillyan. “Alice will add to our quantitative capability which has grown strongly in recent years thanks to our PhD internship program. At the same time as bringing Alice on board, we’re also delighted to be adding another permanent member to the team, courtesy of that initiative, in Viola Miao.”
Miao joins Frontier through its six-month PhD internship program, which sees students completing PhD’s in finance while working in Frontier’s investment strategy team. Miao, a finance PhD candidate at Monash University, is the fourth intern through the program and the third to gain a permanent role at Frontier.
“Investors are increasingly looking for people with strong quantitative finance skills,” Trevillyan said. “If we can raise the opportunity of a career in investment strategy by working directly with universities and their students, not only are we bringing valuable skills and knowledge into our firm, and the sector more broadly, but we will be giving students visibility of a career path they may otherwise have not considered.”
Miao will join Frontier in a permanent role immediately, while Berriman will join in early May. Both will be based in Frontier’s Melbourne office.
